Massage apparatus.



H. GINNEL. MASSAGE APPARATUS; APPLICATION FILED JUNE 12, 1908.

Patented Jan. 5, 1909.

HENRY GINNEL, OF GARDEN CITY, NEW YORK.

MASSAGE APPARATUS.

Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented Jan. 5, 1909.

Application filed June 12, 1908. Serial No. 438,026.

To all 'whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, HENRY GINNEL, a citizen of the United States ofAmerica, residing at Garden City, in the county of Nassau and State ofNew York, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in MassageApparatus, of which the following is a specification.

This invention relates to an improved massage apparatus in which acup-shaped vappliance known as the vibrator, which is usually made ofsoft rubber, is vibrated so as to give short, quick blows tothe fleshyparts and which simultaneously produces a quickly repeatedsuction-action on the fleshy parts so as to alternately raise andrelease the same and impart thereby a kneading action to the same; andfor this purpose the invention consists of a massage apparatus whichcomprises a cylindrical casing, an eccentric piston rotating therein, aspring-actuated abutment placed in contact with the piston and extendingthrough an opening into the casing, said piston being driven by anelectric or other motor, and a vibrator connected with the casing at oneside of the abutment, while an air-nipple is located at the other sideso that in connection with the blows imparted by the action of thepiston a suction or kneading action is exerted on the parts to bemassaged, as will be fully described hereinafter and finally pointed outin the claims.

In the accompanying drawings, Figure 1 represents a side-elevation of myim roved massage-apparatus, Fig. 2 is a vertica longi tudinal section ofthe same on line 2, 2, Fig. 1, Fig. 3 is a vertical transverse sectionon line 3, 3, Fig. 2, and Figs. 47 are diagrammatic sections through thecasing showing the dierent positions of the piston duringy one rotationof the same.

Similar letters of reference indicate corresponding parts throughout thefigures.

The improved massage apparatus consists of three main-parts: anactuating mechanism which comprises a portable cylindrical casing c, aneccentric piston p in the same, and an electric or other motor 'm placedon the shaft s of the piston for driving the same; a spring-actuatedabutment e, which is located in a cylindrical socket d at one point ofthe casing; and a vibrator 0 which is connected by a flexible tube bwith the casing at one side of the abutment.

The vibrator c is of the usual cup-shaped form, made of soft rubber andscrewed on to the end of the tube l). It is applied to the fleshy partsto be treated in the usual manner. The tube b is in direct communicationwith the interior of the casing c at one side of the abutment e. Thecasing c is provided at the side opposite to the abutment e with anair-nipple d1. The abutment e is formed of a flat portion e1 whichextends through an opening o into the casing, and a cylindrical portionc2 which is guided in the socket d and lplrovided with a shank e3 aroundwhich a elical cushioning spring f is placed, the spring beinginterposed between the shoulder formed by the shank e3 Vwith thecylindrical portion e2 and the cap e4 of the socket. rlhe casing isfurther provided at a suitable point with a handle (not shown) by whichthe same is held when it is applied for use.

When the improved massage apparatus is to be used, the vibrator is a lplied in the usual manner to the part to h motor is then started and thepiston quickly rotated in the casing. Owing to the rotation of thepiston and the reciprocation of the abutment the vibrator will thenimpart to the leshy parts to be treated the usual quick blows, andsimultaneously therewith it will exert by the quick rotations of thepiston alternately, a suction-action for raising the fleshy parts and arelease action by which they are permitted to return to their normalposition. At each full rotation of the piston the air in the cu -shapedvibrator is gradually exhausted unti the piston has passed theairnilpple and returned to its starting position, w en the atmosphericair enters mto the space between the casing and piston and interruptsthereby the suction-action on the fleshy part. As soon as the rotationof .the piston aving the greatest degree of eccentricity passes beyondthe abutment, the gradually-increasing suction-action commences, asshown in Figs. 5, 6 and 7, so that the flesh arts are quickly raised,which is then fo owed up by the quick release ofthe parts at the momentwhen the piston moves past the air-nipple as shown in Fig. 4l, whereby apneumatically-operated massage is imparted to the arts to be treated, inaddition to the quick lows given by the vibrator. By the combined actionof the vibrator giving quick strokes or blows to and the suction andrelease action exertedby the piston, on the fleshy parts, a superiormassage-action is obtained. The apparatus is small, can be e treated.The

conveniently held by one handV and produces a Very eiiective and novelmassage-action on the parts to be treated. Slight changes may be madeWithout departing from the spirit of my invention.

Having thus described my invention7 I claim as neW and desire to secureby Letters Patent:

1. A massage apparatus comprising a portable casing, a massage memberthereon having an air-opening in communication With the casing, a rotaryeccentric piston in said casing for Vibrating the casing and massagemember,v and also simultaneously intermittently suctioning air throughthe air opening.

2. In a massage apparatus, the combination, of a casing, a vibratorthereon having an air passage communicating with the interior oi thecasing, and an abutment in the casing, With a rotary eccentric pistoncausing intermittent suction action through the air passage of thevibrator, and simultaneously causing its vibration. l

3. In a massage-apparatus, having a ortable casing and a massage-memberWit an air-passage in direct communication With the interior of' thecasing, single suctioning and vibrating means located in the interior ofthe casing for simultaneously Vibrating the massage-member and causingan intermittent suction through the massage-member and into that part ofthe interior of the casing in Which said means are located.

In testimony, that I claim the foregoing as my invention, I have signedmy name in presence of two subscribing Witnesses.

HENRY GINNEL.

Witnesses:

PAUL GOEPEL, HENRY J. SUHRBIER.

